Laparoscopic tubal sterilization techniques such as unipolar electrocoagulation, bipolar electrocoagulation, tubal ring occlusion, and the use of a spring-loaded tubal clip are disclosed in Novak's Textbook of Gynecology.
As described in Novak's, the tubal ring occlusion was first described by Yoon et al. in 1974 and uses a silicone rubber band for the occlusion of a small knuckle of uterine tube just lateral to the cornu of the uterus.
The use of a spring-loaded tubal clip involves utilizing a very small inert clip modified with a metal spring to provide sustained apposition under pressure. This technique is reported to result in minimal destruction of the uterine tube.
All of these techniques have some drawbacks. For instance, as described in Novak's, these techniques are all associated with some risk of subsequent pregnancy due to, for example, carrying out the procedure in the luteal phase at a time when the fertilized ovum has passed through the uterine tube into the endometrial cavity. Furthermore, the spring-loaded tubal clip can dislodge, leaving a foreign metallic object in the woman's body besides subjecting her to a risk of an unintended pregnancy.
Another problem associated with these techniques is that they are expensive to have reversed, and the restoration process is not always successful.
It would be an improvement in the art to have a tubal sterilization technique which was more easily reversible and which would have a smaller chance of causing tissue damage and allowing for an unintended pregnancy.